Hamilton’s welfare his top priority
Arthur Henry Tompkins 1865-1938
Abooklet celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Bartholomew Timbers Ltd (1905-1955) describes Arthur Tompkins as being ‘‘. . . the father of the company having been Managing Director since its inception until his death in 1938, after having guided the destinies of the company with outstanding distinction and ability for one third of a century.
Much of the success of the company was due to the sound foundations laid by him in the early years.’’
Arthur Tompkins was born in Wellington but shifted to the Manawatu when a young man.
He had a general store (selling ‘‘drapery, fancy goods, crockery, ironmongery, grocery etc’’) at Birmingham — now named Kimbolton. He was elected onto the Kiwitea County Council and was its chairman for a number of years.
When the Bartholomew brothers of the Feilding Sash & Door Factory moved their activities north, Tompkins became managing director of the new company, Bartholomew Timbers Ltd, established in September 1905. His headquarters were in Auckland initially, but in 1907 the company recognised Hamilton as the centre of the retail trade in the Waikato and established yards in Alexandra St, and later in Frankton and Morrinsville.
The company was formed to mill 5220 acres [2112 hectares] of freehold land at Te Whetu, north-east of Tokoroa.
The land was covered in virgin forest containing rimu, matai and totara.
The country was rough and access was only via a riding track. A tramway was built, with four bridges and a 243m tunnel, to provide access and also to get the timber out.
The company experienced several difficulties but overcame them owing to ‘‘the driving force and ability’’ shown by Arthur Tompkins. The company steadily increased its output and ‘‘earned a reputation for producing well-cut timber of the highest quality’’.
The company increased its land holdings to 11,000ac [4452ha]. By 1936 there were at least 36 employees at Te Whetu. Photographs show several buildings including the mill, small houses and accommodation huts.
Tompkins came to Hamilton, with his wife and family, at the same time as George Cornfoot, who was on the board of directors of Bartholomew Timbers Ltd. By August 1906 Cornfoot and Tompkins had a farm on Ohaupo Rd, between Saxby and Collins Rds. They were also property developers.
In 1909, with Felix McGuire, they advertised for sale 50 business and residential sections, situated north of Massey St, Frankton.
The scheme was not a great success, and only Edgar St and West St still exist.
Tompkins was a very keen cricketer and after moving north he became a member of the South Auckland team.
In later years he was an executive officer of the South Auckland Cricket Association.
Arthur Tompkins died in June 1938, aged 73 years. All sections of the business community were represented at his funeral, the service being held in St Peter’s Cathedral. Tompkins had been a prominent freemason in the Feilding and Kimbolton Lodges and the Alexandra Lodge in Hamilton; Masonic burial rites were performed at his grave in Hamilton East Cemetery.
Arthur Tompkins was survived by his widow, two sons and three daughters.
Tompkins was the vice-president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, and at a meeting two weeks after his death, HC Caro, the president, said: ‘‘This chamber and the citizens of Hamilton have lost a man who will be indeed hard to replace . . . the welfare of Hamilton was his constant companion. He was one whom we could ill spare’’.
The Manawatu Standard described him as the ‘‘moving spirit of one of the most successful timber companies in the Dominion’’. After Tompkins’ death, his son A. L. Tompkins became chairman of directors of Bartholomew Timbers. The yard in Alexandra St was vacated in 1952 and the yards, offices and other buildings were established at Te Rapa.
The company went into liquidation in 1993.
The Tompkins name continues in Hamilton with Tompkins Wake, the law firm established by Arthur’s son.